Third Eye: Auspicious timings, upside down and on a lighter note

Auspicious Timings: In the season of taking charge across ministries, various auspicious timings were discussed. Sarbananda Sonowal was one of the first to take charge - on the evening of June 10 itself after portfolios were announced. Ashwani Vaishnaw joined his new I&B ministry on June 11 by 9 am. Most ministers came into new offices on June 11. Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, however, will take charge on June 13 - once he is back from the swearing-in ceremony in Odisha.

Upside Down
The appointment of Neerabh Kumar Prasad, who was to retire this month-end, as new chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh, five days before CM Chandrababu Naidu took oath, has raised eyebrows, with queries being made on who approved the order as the new CM was yet to assume office. Usual practice is that first the CM and his Cabinet take oath, following which new appointments are made on his orders. In this case, it appears the orders were issued first and approval will be obtained later - a 'minor' oversight lost in the din of victory, it seems.


On a Lighter Note
While talking about NCP's dismal performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls, party leader Chhagan Bhujbal pointed to the paradoxical nature of campaigns conducted by party candidates. At a recent event, Bhujbal said he was not called for campaign by the candidates due to his opposition to inclu-ding Marathas into OBCs. "My photo was not in the posters as some candidates felt that it would not draw votes. But they lost anyway. Neither did they get Maratha votes, nor did they get (OBC) votes. Even if I didn't go to campaign, it didn't save them," Bhujbal said in a lighter vein. The trace of humour in his comments helped brighten the atmosphere as several NCP leaders shared a laugh.